THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ COURT source: Past and Present of Woodford County, Illinois, 1878, pages 238-241 Transcribed by Dena Whitesell

In accordance with the act forming Woodford County, an election was held in April, 1841, for county officers, which resulted as follows: John J. Perry, Clerk; Joseph Meek, James Boys and Josiah Moore, County Commissioners; Wm. S. Magarity, Sheriff. At the first term of the County Commissioners’ Court, held in June, 1841, the term of service of the Commissioners was decided by lot, Joseph Meeks receiving the shortest term, which expired August, 1841, James Boys, 1842, and Josiah Moore, 1843. The county was laid off into four election precincts, viz.: First Precinct, Bowling Green, with Eli Patrick, Samuel Arnold and Samuel Kirkpatrick as Judges of Election; Second Precinct, Versailles, with Henry J. Clark, Warren C. Watkins and Ben Major, Judges of Election; Third Precinct, Partridge, Jefferson Hoshor, John Page, Sr., and Joel Raney, Judges of Elections; Fourth Precinct, Richland, Benj. D. Perry, Jessie Hammers and Jefferson Sonards, Judges of Elections. Reubin Carlock, of Bowling Green; Benj. J. Radford, of Versailles; John Page, of Partridge, and J. Foster, of Richland, were appointed Overseers of the Poor; Ben. Major, County Commissioner of Schools. The Court elected the Grand and Petit Jurors for the Circuit Court Term, to be held in the following September. The name of the Grand Jurors have already. been given in connection with the Circuit Court, and the following are the Petit Jurors for the same term: Wesley Arnold, Jacob Stevenson, William Long, William Willis, James A. Whorton, Thos. H Baker, John P. Beaty, Thos. Bullock, Benj. J. Radford, M. R. Bullock, David Deweese, Jas. Wells, James Brown, Cooley Curtis, Francis Boggs, Andrew Galbraith, Solomon Tucker, Aaron Richardson, Samuel Arnold, Wm. S. Pratt, Norman Dutton, George Kingston, C. D. Banta and. A. A. Brown. The following entry appears upon the records at this session of the County Commissioners’ Court.: “Ordered that Samuel J. Cross, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and John J. Perry, Clerk of the County Commissioners’ Court, are hereby authorized to procure two official seals, one for the Circuit Court., with a ‘Balance’ for a design, and one for the County Commissioner’s Court, and for a design, the likeness of a sheaf of wheat; when procured, to be paid for out of the County Treasury.” William Rockwell was the first Collector of Revenue for Woodford County, and filed a bond for four thousand dollars, with David Travis, Wm. Dodd and Isaac J. Sunderland as security, which was accepted by the Court. The following is the first report: Wm. ROCKWELL, Collector of Revenue for 1841, WOODFORD County. To Treasurer’s receipts... $1,034 60 By Treasurer’s receipts... $891 18 By commission on first $500, at ten per cent... 50 00 By commission on $491.17, at six per cent... 28 15 By delinquent list., as above... 3 80 By lands and town lots advertised... 61 47                                       —— $1,034 60 James S. McCord was the first County Treasurer, and gave a bond for $3,000, with Joseph Brown and James V. Philips as securities. The following is his first report: JAMES S. McCORD, Treasurer,      IN ACCOUNT WITH WOODFORD COUNTY. To Collector’s receipts... $1,034 60 By county orders paid... $613 61 By jury certificates... 24 00 By commissions, at two per cent... 12 75 By amount allowed Collector... 78 15 By delinquent list... 3 80 By lands and town lots advertised... 67 41                          — $793 7$ Balance in my hands... $240 82 MARCH 7, 1842. In contrast to this diminutive beginning of the financial affairs of a prosperous county, we would state just here that the County Collector and Treasurer for 1878, Ayers M. Whitaker, as Collector, gave bond for $115,000 ; and as Treasurer, gave bond for $150,000, with ample security, which was received and approved by the Board of Supervisors. The Chancery Court was organized in 1842, and held its first term on the 22d day of April, under Hon. Samuel H. Treat. There were but a few cases on the docket, and none of any great importance. Samuel J. Cross was appointed the first Master in Chancery, an office he held for a number of years. The first deed on record in the Clerk’s Office of Woodford County is the conveyance of a parcel of land from “Isaac Williams and his wife, Eliza L. Williams, of the county of Tazewell, and State of Illinois, to James Ross, of Todd County, Ky., and John H. Baker, of Montgomery County, Tenn., for and in consideration of the sum of $673.60, to them in hand paid, the receipt whereof, etc.; they, by these presents, etc.; the east half of Section numbered 50, of Township 26 north, of Range 1, west of the Third Principal Meridian, containing, by government survey, 320 acres,” etc. This deed was acknowledged before Matthew Bracken, Justice of the Peace, of Woodford County, under date of May 14, 1841, and recorded June 28, 1841. The first mortgage was given by George Roderkin and Elizabeth, his wife, to John H. Robbins, on Lot No. 4, in Block No. 11, and east half of Lot No. 1, in Block No. 12, of the town of Versailles, and “for and in consideration of the sum of $86.41,” dated August 3, 1841, and recorded August 4, 1841. The first sale of land for delinquent taxes was at the Court House in Versailles, on the 2d day of May, 1842, for the unpaid taxes of 1841, and consisted of twenty-three tracts of land sold, most of which was soon after redeemed. The first “letters of administration” were issued to Henry J. Clark, on the estate of Jacob Stevenson, deceased, under the date of December 20, 1841. The first marriage license on record after the organization of the county was issued to Peter Hininger and Margaret Hern, May 22, 1841, who were married by Matthew Bracken, Justice of the Peace, June 8, 1841; and during this first year of the new county, twenty-seven marriage licenses were issued. With a commendable desire to obey the command, “Go ye and multiply and fill the earth,” there were issued from the County Clerk’s office, for the year 1877, 171 licenses to those eager to fulfill the scriptural injunction.

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